The United States Congress, which is made up of two houses, is a ____________

People in districts who are represented in Congress are called ________

The presiding officer of the House of Representatives is the __________

The president of the Senate is the ____________

A filibuster can be stopped when three-fifths of the Senate votes for ___________

The power to write the rules and appoint the chairpersons of committees in Congress is controlled by the _____________

Giving this to a witness means that he or she is free from the threat of prosecution for their testimony at a congressional hearing.

All bills Congress passes require ___________ before they become law.

Congressional committees may punish people who refuse to testify at a hearing by _____

What compels a witness to appear or produce requested documents in a congressional hearing or in court?

In which step of the bill to law process in Congress does the entire House of Representatives debate on the bill?

In which step in the bill to law process do members of both chambers, House and Senate, reach a compromise in order to send the bill back to the floor of each chamber for final vote and approval before sending it to the President?

Gridlock between the president and Congress can be caused by _____________

Almost all the important work on tax laws occurs in the _____________

Adoption of ________ prevents House members from offering amendments to a bill during floor action.

In which year were the fewest public laws enacted?

In which year were the most public laws enacted?

In 1994 during the presidency of Democrat Bill Clinton, the Republicans won a majority in both chambers of Congress.  The short term result of this was __________

These committees have the power to cut budgets.

This government program is an example of an entitlement program which cannot fail to be funded by Congress during the appropriation process.

This constitutional power enables Congress to regulate working conditions across the nation.

Through this important power, Congress can check on how the executive branch is administering the law.

In the Senate bills are brought to the floor by ________

The standing committees of each house are controlled by ____________

This stops a filibuster.

These are the key power centers in Congress.

Most of the federal government's spending money comes from ______________

Through public-works bills, Congress appropriates billions of dollars for local projects that are often called _________

The Congressional responsibility this House member is referring to is known as _______

In this lawmaker’s opinion, the average citizen should be the most important person influencing legislation, namely because this individual _____________

Congress can override a presidential veto by a 3/4 majority in both chambers.

Curtis B. Gans was referring to what is known as “gridlock,” which occurs when the president and Congress disagree on legislation.

Match each item with the correct statement below.

Explain why the House might be considered more representative of the people than the Senate.  The “People’s” house versus the house of “Wisdom and Deliberation” which is the Senate.  Discuss how the members are selected, their terms and the organization of each chamber of Congress affects how representative the House of Representatives is.  Compare the House and Senate.

Explain the difference between a tax bill, an appropriations bill, and an authorization bill.  What is the effect of these differences on Congress’s ability to establish new programs?

Very few bills proposed of the thousands introduced are enacted to become the law of the US.  For what reasons do so few bills introduced into Congress ever become law?  At what points in the process can a bill be killed or dropped so it will never become a law.  Be specific by listing at least 3 points.  Answer with complete sentences.

According to the chart, Congress is influenced by many different forces. Which forces do you think has the greatest influence on how a congressman will vote? Why?  Be sure to state how these forces can influence Congress.  For full credit you must explain at least 3 forces.  Give examples to support each force.

How does the existence of committees in the House and Senate enable Congress to work more efficiently?  5 sentences.  Support with 3 ways committees enable Congress to work.

Compare the organization of the leadership of the House of Representatives with that of the Senate.  What is the consequence of this difference in the way bills are considered?  5 sentences.  Support your answer.